Management | Hit the New Year running
Getting off to a positive start By Natalia Rietveld
It’s that time again – yes the New Year has arrived which means it’s time to get out that pen and paper and write up a fresh list of goals and ambitions.
Get your team emotionally invested
Don’t beat yourself up
It’s easy as the employer or the owner to be emotionally invested in the changes for your business but changes won’t happen unless your employees feel the same.
Never lose sight of what you have set to achieve. Keep a record of small achievements along the way and put it up for all to see.
Are making changes and improvements to the way your business is run on that list? If so, good on you. It’s never a bad idea to make improvements and implement new processes, but getting everyone on board can be a challenge and can be the difference between your ideas becoming a success, or being a complete failure.
How will the change affect them personally and in a business sense and what role do they play in the new process.
So that you and your team are on the same page, here are some tips to help you get the year off to a running start and keep up the pace throughout the year.
Write it down “The simple act of writing down your resolution will make it far more likely to stick,” says Sir Richard Branson. It may seem far too obvious to actually work, but writing it down will hold you accountable and will give your employees a clear understanding of what is expected or what you want to achieve. Let’s be honest if it comes from Richard Branson it has to have some relevance.
In an article written by Strategy+Business, they say “if you are asking people to adapt to a new reality, they need to understand the emotional case for change so they can feel truly committed to the transformation”.
Making your employees feel valued along the way will keep them invested throughout the whole process and in turn the changes you’ve put in place will be maintained.
Be a role model Making sure your staff are onboard is one thing, making sure you stay motivated and inspired is another. Train up your leadership team so they are competent with the new changes and fully understand the logic behind it. From there you can motivate each other and offer support to employees who are struggling to come to terms with the new way of doing things. If you and your leadership team can not offer that guidance and knowledge the new changes will quickly unravel.
Progress will keep your morale up and will remind you that the ultimate targets are achievable. There will be hiccups along the way, that’s inevitable, it’s important to smile through them and take them on-board as a lesson. Don’t stop striving.
Make it fun and celebrate Why would you even consider making changes if you weren’t passionate about it? Going back to some advice from Richard Branson, it is important that your employees enjoy their work environment. “If people feel trapped and stuck in their job, performance will suffer.” Set fun challenges to achieve the goals you have set in place. Get your team involved in the brainstorming processes, let them tell you how they think they can achieve the goals, you might learn something from them. If your colleagues are kept happy, your business will strive. Celebrate every small success. It doesn’t have to be a fullblown staff party every time you achieve something but it’s important you give yourself and your staff credit for the work they’ve put in to make the changes you’ve set a reality.
Digital diligence Eighty five percent of cyber attacks are directed at startups and small businesses. Here’s how to protect your privacy and security. If you are a startup or small business owner, your priority is probably the growth of your company. You are dealing with long working hours, payroll and many hassles that are a part of building your own business. Most likely, cybersecurity is not on top of your mind, unless something happens that makes you realise how important it is to protect your sensitive business information right from the start. According to the security firm Threat Metrix, cybercrime attacks went up by 50 percent in all segments in the 2nd quarter of 2016, which is a worrisome trend. Startups are considered to be an especially easy prey for hackers: in 2014, 85 percent of all data breaches were directed at small businesses and startups. Besides targeted cyber crime, startups suffer from malware, rogue software, unprotected Wi-Fi and much more.
While the types of attacks could be many, we have selected some common sense solutions that every startup owner should know.
1. Use only https URL Make sure all websites that you give your data to have the secure https URL. The ‘s’ in the URL means that it is a secure protocol and your data is encrypted properly.
2. Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) VPNs connect you to the Internet through an encrypted tunnel. A VPN server acts as a relay between the Internet and a company’s private network, so nobody can see what data is being shared over the Internet. All that can be seen is that you are connected to a VPN server.
3. Avoid downloading files from unknown senders
5. Use anti-virus Use an updated virus protection to make sure your system is protected from malware such as malvertising (advertisement online with malicious codes).
6. Strong passwords Perhaps the most basic requirement for any online account setup is using strong passwords. Weak passwords make it simple for hackers to break into your system and cause severe damage.
7. Update your operating system It sounds simple and easy to do, but it happens that we ignore the pop-up reminders for software updates. However, it’s one of the most important things to do with a computer, as the updates fix security vulnerabilities and system bugs.
8. Secure your mobile
4. Update your firewall
If you are happy that your system is now secure, you might be forgetting one important part - your mobile devices. You probably store important passwords on your smartphone and other sensitive information, therefore, don’t forget to encrypt your phone either.
Most systems have an automatically installed firewall - just make sure you follow up with its regular updates.
For more information about staying safe online, visit NordVPN.com .
The rule is simple: if you are not familiar with the sender, don’t click to download any attachments or any links they might send.
Does your website make you money or cost you money? If your website doesn’t appear on the first 2 pages when people Google your industry, you are probably missing out on new business. Call us now so we can show you how we can help!
gary@fatweb.co.nz | 0800 444 090 | www.fatweb.co.nz 16 | January/February 2017 www.canterburytoday.co.nz
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